The Sun. — London, England, 1818-01-28 00:00:00

sangoine expectation eonld hope for ; anti as far • 05 was possible, they had established a peace, rich lot med -the liberty and the indepeodence of tim•s rottoiry and of Continental Europe. They shoot(' acknowledge that his Majesty's Ministers had steered the vessel Of the State through the tem;•ests of anarchy, and the quicksands of revo lotion, into a- port.ot satity. What he principally rose for, was - in reference to those reports, which seemed drawn trout a variety of sources, respect boroire-.sittottion .anal circumstances. of .•3 oeigh .bouting kin g dom ; tool respecting which. much of opinion was advanced, and this ehiellY'related to a question of the probable sta. trimty - of the - existing Government. lf, in one sense, the affirmative of these bpinions were correct, he 'would ask what possiide danger could there re from liberating-the State Prisoner at Saint I.l!Froa Oil the contrary, the retaining that person in such dnrauce . may be held as a tacit coo tes,imin that .the present Government of France did not rest upon solid grounds Ili wool(' ah -stain from entering into any discussion as to the .merits or demerits of these questions; but in what he should now ;Ay, he would confine himself to known facts. They knew that Louis XVIII. bad twice recovered his dontinions, anti twice taken possession of his capital, through foreign aid ; and there were those who had thought be held .his political power only through the same medium. They had -been told by a-Noble Lail that they had a right to interfere with the internal concerns of that country ; but if they had a right to the greater, they certainly had to the . lesser interference. They had the right of con quest. Upon that principle they had the right to Joists. participated that country, not for the ag grandizement of oilier Powers, but for-creating other independent Sovereignties. lo the time of the Romans that country had been divided into three distinct Governments. So in the ease Of the Allied Powers, they had at the time a right to have participated that coontry. The mainte nance of ,the present Government of France he retarded as an object of iinpOrtant yolicy. Those ,reasons which appeared to render Louis XVIII. ,obnoxious to the French people, ought (so we understood his Lordship) to render him accept able 'to the ..Allies. The great object, and that which should have most of the care and anxiety of Ninisti 6. should be the preservation, of that . p a ct which had been so long fought for, and to wards that desirable object be deemed, that the es-, lablishment of the Government of Louis would go a great way. He reprObated every . thing that affeCted to proceed under the emblems of liberty or equality ; and they should recollect : the umprincipled course held by, the French people while tiny acted and fought under these ensigns : they should bear in Mind the inevitable calami ties which must ensue,. were that peace lost, in the purchase of which so much blood and treasure Was expended -; that peace which resulted from the War so gloriously terminated by the battle of Waterloo. Adverting to the report of the retorts of.the 'troops from France, the Noble Earl ob 'served, that the sprit of the Treaty under which time occupation proceeded was, first, That they should not leave France until allthe contributions imposed upon her were previously levied ; Se courtly, That sufficient time and facilities should he allowed to the neighbouringPowers.to establish fortresses in the Low Countries ; and Thirdly, That sufficieot guarautee should be afforded to Eu rope with respect to the continuance of peace, or every secority that the state of France could af ford.' Upon these grounds it was that the present Government of France sho u ld b e sup p orte d by the Allies, and Louis 'XVIII. maintained, as the - most l,kely way of ensuring the continuance of 'peace. Were that to be•set aside, one of the first events would be an attack from France upon the 'Netheriaods, and every attempt ,made to cause a 'rising iii these conntties. XVI:h reference to the - much talked of cp:estion of economy, he trusted Ministers would hear in mind, that no economy could be real or. well founded, except bottomed in the preservation of peace; and with respect to the notions of equality or reform, there' were no ideas so grossly mistaken as what were understood by these names. With respect to the Suspension - of the Habeas Corpus Act, there was cl . ; necessity for continuing it at present. But that there was 011011411 y a necessit y for its suspension,, appeared to him to have been fully proved by the two Reports ; however, the grounds upon which he entertained those opinions be should not then enter upon. On a firt tire opportunity, Perhaps, he Shookd have the honour of stating thOse to their Lordships, as well as the reasons which induced him to dissent from all those chinieras which lay under the specious name of Parliamentary Re form. The Marquis of LaNspowtin followed, and made a variety of observations on several of the leading points which had been adverted to in the present • discussion, deprecating any interruption of that unanimity's hick it was so desirable should pievail. lie censured the. conduct of his Ma it+y's 'Government with' respect to the Suspen sion of the Habeas Corpus Act, for which he con tended no necessi*y existed ; on the contrary, he argued, principally front what appeared on the State Trials, that the conspiracy, such as it was, was by no means an extended one ; and further, that it clearly appeared, from what had actually taken place, that the existing law, w i d e sp ec i a lly the Act of the 25711 of .Edw. 1 11 . : w as amp l y „pi_ dent for the purpose. There was not a tittle of evidence to support the assertion of the conspiracy being numerous. l'he affair at Nottingham, on which so much stress had been laid, was pot do.vn by a party of the 18th Dragoons. 'Regard ing the harsh and unconstitut intuit measure of . the Suspension as he did, he was glad to hear it was the intention of Ministers to proceed immediately to its repeal. With respect to what was said of the increased prosperity of the country, there could he none permanent or secure that did not proceed upon the ground of effectual economy ; and in that view, he trusted that Parliament e t ,,1,111 tuost seriously consider the state of the Es tabl:shments with H view to their raduetion, so as soin,i% hat to equalize the expenditure with the rev tine of the country. 1:e E id of Livenpoot, observed, that the pre- Qt nr w:ts neither a regular or a Tiiirahlenpportu :Y for vtitertile: iiilo - diSC-4135i.1) upon tl'e interna! . '-ot the etiuntry. NVfien that irnporttiut slues ti"on shenid come to be discussed, be sboubt be prepared to stew that the precautionary measures which, were adopted had been called for„ by. an adequate necessity ; and farther, that (bey had been the means of preserviog the peace arid tran qnillity of the cnnutry. He should be prypaLed to prove a case where the lives and pioperties of his Majesty's.subjects, as well as . the safety_o(the country, might be seriously menaced, and wherein Ministers' would ill discharge their duty, if they waited to consider how ov,rch risk might be run, or what degree of conspiracy existed before they adopted measures-necessary for ; the- mint-enance and security of all, classes of 'his Majesty's sub jects,—nay, the very safety of the country itself. With respect to the formation of the Speech, it was framed in such a manner, as that a con es ponding Address may be assented to, without implicating any pledge or opinion, as to several of its most important topics. The internal si tuation may be i d egarded as improved, were it only considered that what is as done bad drawn from the disaffected some of the means they had employed in inducing others to join iii disturbing the general tranquillity. He begged leave to say a few svo;tls, in cow:et - pence of some observations which had fallen front his Noble Friend opposite (Earl' Stanhope.) The House would at once see, that with respect to some of the topics adverted to by his Noble Friend, it would hest beCome him (Lord L.) at the time to refrain from saying any thing With respect, however, to the policy of this Coun try in regard to France and. the Continent of Europe, it must and will be the object of Govern ment to preserve the peace which had been's() happily attained. Their object should be 'to per severe in that course always; and the most likely way to do that successfully would lie the sacred fulfilment of their engagements ; but with the ex pectation that other Powers would do the same. He did not, however, participate in thoSe feeli~ e• to whichihis Noble Friend alluded, with regard to the situation in which the Sovereign of that coun try is placed with respect to the people of that country. The subject was certainly one that it was proper be should at present abstain front en tering into; hilt he was persuaded there existed in the Councils of every Power in Enrope, a due disposition towards the preservation of peace, aid for the maintenance of the Treaties into which they had entered. The Qtidlions then being put, the Address was agreed to, nem. this , and ordered to be presented in th e usual way, by the Lords, with white staves, as was also an Address of Condoleuce, 'on the motion of the Noble Earl,' to her Majesty the Queen. REPEAL OF THE HABEAS CORPUS SUSPENSION. Viscount SIDAIDUTI-1 proposed, that the Stand ing Orders, which prohibit the passage of Mils through more than of e stage. on the saute day, should be taken into considereion to-morrow. with a view to their suspension, as far as related to a Bill to he brought in for repealing the Act of last Session, for enabling his. Majesty to secure and detain persons whom he suspected of conspir ing against his person and. Government. This proceeding seeming to meet the concurrence of their Lordships - , the Noble Secretary of State re gularly moved the same, and the relevant Orders were ordered to be taken into considetation to morrow accordingly. . CLERK OF THE PARLIAMENT. Lord HOLLAND rose, and observing, that owing to the death of Mr. Rose, their Lordships were in the anomalous situation of having no Clerk, he was about to move that cer train documents be laid before the House, when, after some observations from the LORD CHANCELLOR and Earl GROSVENOR, it was proposed be the Earl of LIVER POOL to lay the Patent of the Clerk of the Parliament on the Table of: the House, in'the first instance, which was ac ceded to by the other side. . . Henry Coxper,. Esq, was then appointed to officiate Fr,' tempore as Clerk of the Parliament, and the Earl of Shaftes bury was re-chosen as Chairman of their Lordships' Commit tees.—Adjourned, at Half-past Seven o'Clock, to to-mor row (this d'ay). HOUSE OF COMMONS. At a quarter before Three o'Clock, the Spealter came to the flonsi, and soon after the Usher of the Black Rod summoned the House to the Bar` of the /louse of Peers, to hear the Yrince'Regent's .ipeech.. The Speaker then - left the House, ac companied by all the Members present. NEW WRITS. . . Upon the return of the Speaker, new Writs were ordered for the County of Cardigan, in the room of J. Vaachan, Esq. deceased ; for the Borough of New Romney, in the room of Sir , J. T. Duckworth, deceased; for Ripon, in the room of the Right Hon. Robinson, who, since . his election, had accept-• ed the office of President of the Board of Trade and Treasurer of the Navy ; and for Cockermouth, in the room of the Right Utin. T. Wallace. who bad accepted the office of Vite-Presk dent of the Board of Trade. SUSPENSION a THE HABEAS CORPUS ACT. Lord ALTHORPB rose for the purpose of stating to the House, that it was his intention to-morrow (this day) to move for leave to bring in a Bill to repeal the Habeas Corpus Suspension Act, Mr. ARBUTHNOT expiessed his regret that. the Noble Lord had mot delayed his notieu. till some of his Majesty's Ministers had appeared in, the house, when he might have received '-such in formation as would have rendered his notice un 7 necessary. Lord ALTHORPE• soon after seeing Lord Cas tlereagh enter the House, begged leave to in quire what were the intentions• of his Majesty's Government respecting the Suspension Habeas Corpus Act. Lord CAF,TLEttsaGn said, it certainly was in the contemplation of his Majesty's Ministers, as the situation of the country no longer called for the continuance of such a measure, to apply to Par liament for its repeal. The Noble Lord would find that notice to that effect would .be gien in that place where the Bill originated. ' STATE PRISONERS IN SCOTLAND. Lord A. HAsstt.Tosr gave. notice, that on that day fortnight he should submit a motion to the House, relative to the persons confined on suspicion of high treason in Scotland. • Mr. NV. DUNDAS observed, that the Lord Ad vocate of Scotland, who was most comp e t en t, from pi'sofficial situation, to inform the House itpon the subject, could not_ be in town on that day fottnight. Lord. A. flAmtr.Totg expressvd his willicgneis to postpone . his tilts - Lord Advo cafe not be able to attend on the day for Mild, he had given notice. DROITS OF THE ADMIRALTY. :Lord COCARANG wished to be informed if there were any intention. of appropriating the Droits of the Admiralty, for the relief of the distressed .seamen. It was 'hiS intention on an early - day to bring the subject of the Droit*i of the Admiralty before the house. M. \V. DVNtaAs was not prepared to make any statement ,upon the subject. TRANSUBSTANTIATION. General THORNTON gave notice, that on the I Ith of,February move for leave to bring in a Bill, to repeal so much OF the Act of the 25th 'of Charles II; as, required 'from persons taking official oaths a declaration that Trabsub stautiation is itlolateo!is. BANKRUPT LAWS. Mr. J. SMITH gave notice, that to-morrow be ,should move for the revival of the Committee upon the Bankrupt Laws. Mr..GRBNFELL gave notice, that on Tuesday be should call the attention of the House to the state of the transactions between the Public and the Bank. Mr: S. BouttNE (as well as we could collect) moved for an Account of the sums that_ had been collected for the relief of the pbor in the years 1748, 1749, and 1750. THE ROYAL SPEECH. The SPRAKER—" I have to inform the House, that tilts House has attended in the House of L;;,rds, where they have heard the Prince Re gent's most gracious Speech, a copy of which hate obtained, and which, to prevent mistakes; I will read." Having read the Speech (for which see our Lord's Repo%t ) Mr. WoriEnouse said, in moving the Address which the. House usually vote` to the Throne, at the opening of the Session, he should ill discharge his duty, if he did not avail himself of the earliest opportunity ,ot calling their attention to the deep tbstress in which a recent calamitous event had plunged his Royal Highness. We bad lived so many years in a state of war, and our attention had been so much occupied by the succession of wonderful events to which that state gave rise, .that onr minds seemed in some sort diverted from the eousideration of our own domestic affairs. The first event after the return of peace, in our domes tic history, which was viewed with deep interest by the whole n a tion, was the virtuous alliance from which ao many advantages•were antixipated. From the gradull expansion of a mind of such Strong native excellence as that of the illUstrious Princess; the nation were well warranted' in enter taining the most sanguine hopes and expectations. The premature death of that Princess had suspend ed the hopes of the nation, and closed the bright prospects, the extinction .of‘ which was so feel ingly lamented by all classes .of this country. It would be wasting the time of the House; or even worse, in him to attempt to describe to them a life to much entitled to their admiration—to attempt to paint the bright lustre which opened to their view, This would be a mockery of real feeling— it suited neither with the nature of the subject, nor the dignity of the House. Witham intruding on the sacred sorrows of the Illustrious Father, they might assure hini that Parliament sympathized with him in his mistortnne—that as they were asso ciated with him in his hOpei, they were associated with him in his grief. Nothing was more conge nial to the British character than such a sympathy with the sufferings of the illustrious Person to whom they had plighted their allegiance. Their anxiety on suclean occasion must be regarded as an indubita ble proof of their attachment to the family on the throne of these reahns-. hi the speed) a variety of topics were iutroduced, all of which, from their importance, would become the subject of their future deliberation, and therefore he should wit trespass on their attention by entering into any one of them. They had heard of our amity with foreign States—our prosperity and tranquil lity4tt home--the stability of otir credit, the im provement of our revenue. The picture was cer tainly flattering, but it was not coloured beyond what our national resources would warrant.— llaily intercourse furnished to every man abun daat proofs of the improvement which had taken place in the circumstances of our fellow-subjects. He should he grieved to think that lie was either the, victim of credulity, or that he spoke the lan.; guage of delusion. Whether we looked to our agriculture, or to any other branz.h of our in dustry or commerce, there was no longer seen that stagnant languor and dejection—that feeling among men that they were struggling for exist ence with no hope of advancement. Now, stead the former depression, there was every where seen that vigour and an elasticity which was the most satisfactory evidence of a real and 'substantial prosperity. The restoration of our iiiterual tranquillity was a thought on which the imagination loved to dwell. - There was — now A perfect restoratioh of content, and the hateful seeds of disaffection were banished from the land. There yet remained one or two material poipts in the Speech which ought not to be passed over in complete silence. He alluded more particularly to the communication on the subject of the Tree ties. entered into with Sp a i n an d P ortuga l f or t he Abolition of the Slave Trade. If any thing could add to the importance of these torangements it was the consolation derived from the considera tion of the narrow limits within which that traffic was now confined—afro Ming a reasonable hope that the traffic will soon cease .to exist , I t w as a proud triumph to this country that an end to this most detestable traffic—the existence of which was regretted by the unanimous feeling of Chris tendom-.--wr_as accomplished_. through the media tion of Great 'Britain. Of all her glorious achievements of which she had so much reason to be proud, none .avould throw more lustre on her than the achievement of the ithiversal aboli tion of this abominable and iniquitous traffic.'The Hon. Gentleman concluded with moving an Ad dress echoing the sentiments in the Speech of the Prince Regent. Mr. WINDHAM QUIN rose to second the motion, and said ; that he was so fully conscious of his 'own inability to. add to the eloque n t appeal o f the Mover' of the Address,' that lie should have' but a few observations to make. There was no . thing in the Address which, would provoke Mu ch discussion, or disturb the unanimity which he hoped would prevail on an occasion in some re spects so mournful. In the recollection of the event which they lamented, he trusted they Or derive all the consolation which unity of feel in g could give. It was two years since the presume' rive Heir of Great Britain was wedded to a Prino of an ancient and illustrious house, himself Pig" Rions, by being eminently good. On that oeee' sion every heart was open to joy. But ne 4 they had to look at a very different scen t ' If ever : 01-ere was affliction more severe o f more distressing, there was never sympa t. more universal or more sinc e r e . The most exalted and most afflicted sufferer might b e consoled with the 'idea that he shared his grief ill. common with every mutt tvho had a head to or a heart to feel. It bad Pl e askl G o d to c all bee away who was our pride and liope. SOrro 4 darkened every countenance its every direction , , 13 the North , and in the South, in the East and in fl ie. West, Sorrow darkened _every countenance, ad d one general feeling of calamity prevailed. It li B 4 pleased Providecce to take her in the bloom 311 promise of h er y out h, b ut her name would temai ll , for ever enthroned in the hearts of an affectiona te ,: people. But whose s o r ro w cou ld a pp roac h that to• a father who had lost such a child It was sorrow which he should not attempt to dew scribe ;—it would be a task painful and u ntie, cessary, for there was not a Gentleman wli 9 3 heard him whose feelings would not anticiP a . (e : him. In turtling from - this, painful topic, the fir s t subject to which his'attention was called was, the recommendation from the Throne which relat ed to the n u mber of places of worship. It was wort h y their serious consideration, for the experience e t * the last' twenty-five years, and of the convulsioint whiCh bad shaken Europe, katf s'iown how tort; male a connexion existed between the stability Thrones and Empires, and the protection of 10 ' rals and religion. He heard also with pleasu re' of the friendly disposition of foreign powers . "; Though Great Britain would, he thisted, be Dar e ' found unwilling or unable to vindicate her ib 6l rights by arms, it was never to be forgotten tO t the only legitimate. object was honourable, firl ° ' and permanent peace. He should not enter ial`f any detailed statement in support of the assertion' Of the Speech which related to our, Anfa ie b : and commerce. It was enough to say, that ', le revenue of the last quarter ; compared with I '. corresponding quarter in, the last year, gave evl ; (knee of con s id era bl e impr o v emen t, a nd held oa a hope of greater and progressive a dvanceme" t * It was not in the' r e ven u e a lone that the imprn ve .' inept was to he seen;—in our matrufadttires , our exports, in the state of the funds, and value of lau4s, it, was obvious to the most casual observer, and greater than that which the too9t sanguine had anticiisated in their predictions' They could not go' into. any part. uf. t h e c ount/ without seeing the, signs of this improvement. the last year, in every street, they saw that obil s men wanted work ; wages had now been raised' The iron, works in thee - last year had been altor'-' entirely stopped ; they were now, in fell activi t y' and iron hart risen in price from 91. to 141. per W e l i The linen manufactory Was "in eetiVity, f - the country felt in every pa r t auinerehsetle. reu ' l " lion. The funds, whi c h had:b ee n ailed the p ule of the nati o n, w ere a t I:3o—atiirniisife 7 Could ; " procured a t 4-1 per cent., and every thing indicate'A the public belief in the stability of th e filiaoci' , resources of the Country. Merchants,- intionf,le" turers, and farmers not only felt that better dap s had arrived, but were confident that they vvcc c ,likely 'to continue. There was a source of to.; tional prosperity which could not be exhibit ed I , a tangible shape, but which was not less 1 1 . 4 portant—he meant internal tratiquillity. 0 scenes which bad disgraced the last year wer e I; . longer witnessed, and it was shown that the p re y cautionary cautionary measures which had been M i l er ed had not been unavailing. The Fr° ,„ Regent had assured them that the interess, of the country, as it regarded the 90CC1 d sion, had occupied his serious attention. / c , interests of the country were closely conn ee ed with the succession of the-family on the thron e- During the ascendency of that family the couot r i e had advanced in arts and arms, in its comdlerC and atolieulture; and though no immediate & I ' : ger was to be apprehended Of a failure of the heirs 'of the - Princess Sophia, as there was so lour a line of foreign Pr!aces, yet was it unimport ant that the British branch of this family should preserved, and that our Kings should continue t(!) he Englishmen by birth, principles, and habits He could not help connecting the improYemeo t o f the country within so short a period with the e which were made for the abolition of 'the Blare Trade. It wouldhe recorded hereafter, that in '- hour of our distress, at' a time when we we j l ' e struggling for our existence,-we were not untniow. ful of the interests of humanity ; and now in (Pe time of reviving prosperity, we attended not coolf to our own interests, ‘but to that of the whole human race. But, in speaking of national provement, was it fair to confine the ente paritol to the present and the past year ? They shou ld pause for a moment, end consider where 11 1 country would be if a different line of policy been pursued 'from that which had been happ,ii , followed—if they - had made peace with the fo li mer ruler of 'France, a hollow, insecure, su rf treacherous peace as that must have been. Titer now might reap the fruit of 'those efforts which .they had...persevered -in. They had not only Se' cured. their Own liberty, but destroyed the mos t tremendous tyranny \ which had eves loured ov er humen kind. Where would the country now hav e been if we had not persevered .?.----Shorn of ill highest attributes', it would not have been philc-e' on the highest pinnacle of glory, at once the 01) ; ject of the admiration and perhaps of the envY .o ' the world. The Address having 'been read from the Chair, `Lord ALTEIORPB agreed to every word of the Address. There was one transaction 'of the cess which bad not been at all alluded to, and which he thought it right to mention then, though b e should nut offer any motion on it. It was th e three trials of Mr. Hone. He disapproved of pa' rmlies on sacred snhjects its Much as any.Gentle m man in the House ; he had no particular respec t for Mr.,..Horte, did ,he know much -ot except as haying madean abl; and successful- de' G